May 12, 2022

COVID-19 | The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 passed the 1 million mark as of yesterday, according to government reports, representing about one death for every 327 Americans. [White House statement] [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 78 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Reports say Ukraine has offered to release Russian prisoners of war in exchange for safe evacuation of injured fighters at the Azovstal steel mill, the last holdout of Ukrainian forces in the port city of Mariupol. No agreement has yet been reached on the offer. [more]
• The International Atomic Energy Agency said yesterday that it is once again receiving remote data from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine following an interruption in data transmission caused by Russian occupation of the site early in the war. [more]
• Ukraine's military is reported to have continued making progress today in pushing back Russian forces around Kharkiv -- Ukraine's second largest city. [more]
• Pro-Moscow authorities in the occupied southern Ukrainian region of Kherson say they plan to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to incorporate the territory into Russia by the end of this year. [more]

NATO | Finland’s president and prime minister today jointly announced their support of proposals for Finland to apply for NATO membership, saying that such an application must be made "without delay." A decision on applying for NATO membership by Sweden is also expected in the near future. A Kremlin spokesman said this morning that Finland joining NATO would pose a new threat to Russia. [more]

ABORTION | A Democratic-backed measure to codify the right to abortion in federal law failed in the Senate yesterday after not reaching the 60-vote threshold it needed to advance. The Senate vote was 49-51, with Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia joining all Republicans in opposing the bill. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | Bureau of Labor Statistics data released yesterday shows that consumer prices rose 8.3% in April from the year-ago period and 0.3% from March to April. [full report] [more]

MIDDLE EAST | Israel’s military demolished 18 structures, including 12 residential buildings, near the West Bank city of Hebron yesterday following a Supreme Court decision that cleared the way for the move. An estimated 1,000 Palestinians will be forced to leave the area as a result of the demolitions. [more]

NORTH KOREA | Officials in North Korea announced today -- for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began -- that the country is experiencing an outbreak of coronavirus infections. A nationwide lockdown to limit the spread of the disease has been ordered. [more]

MORE NORTH KOREA | Military officials in Japan and South Korea say North Korea launched three suspected short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its eastern coast today -- the 16th round of missile tests conducted by North Korea this year. [more]

SUPREME COURT | Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court are scheduled to meet in person today for the first time since a draft decision was leaked indicating that the Court would likely overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights ruling. [more]

COVID-19 | A second global COVID-19 virtual summit opens today, co-hosted by the U.S., Germany, Indonesia, Senegal, and Belize. The summit is expected to focus on the issue of waning global prioritization for fighting the pandemic in the eight months since the first such global summit was held. [more]

DRUG USE | Provisional data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021 -- up 15% from the previous record high set in 2020. [more]

HONG KONG | Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen was arrested and later released on bail in Hong Kong yesterday on charges of colluding with foreign forces to endanger China’s national security. Reports say Zen's arrest was related to his role as a trustee of a fund that provided legal aid to pro-democracy protesters. [more]

CRYPTOCURRENCY | Bitcoin continued its devaluation yesterday, reaching a low of $25,401.05 -- its lowest level since December 2020. The leading cryptocurrency is down 45% so far this year. [more]

FLORIDA | Lawyers have announced a $997 million settlement agreement in the case surrounding the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida, in June 2021. The settlement has not yet been approved by the court overseeing the case. [more]

BASKETBALL | Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player last night. This is the second consecutive season Jokic has earned the MVP honor. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1937, King George VI of the United Kingdom was crowned following the abdication of Edward VIII. [more history]